Washington Capitals issue strange statement that they plan on signing a player, but will let him practice without contract

There are subtle nuances to the NHL salary cap and contracts, however this situation and has definitely left some people scratching their heads. It had been reported for weeks that the Washington Capitals were the favorites to sign defender Ethan Bear. It had been reported by multiple sources that the Caps would sign him to a multi-year contract.

So today when the Capitals PR account tweeted this morning, many assumed it would be to announce the signing. However, that wasn't exactly the case. Instead the team announced they're going to sign him, but just not yet.





This decision seems odd because the team could have signed him to a professional tryout instead, but has instead opted for this route. This has left some fans scratching their heads and wondering how this is allowed under the collective bargaining agreement.


This also seems like a very risky move for Bear, who could get hurt during this process and could cost himself an NHL contract. It will be interesting to see how this process plays out.